Conserving water
in the home
Tips and hints for saving water at home
10%
On average, one New Zealand household uses about
500 litres of water every day. That’s over 2000 cups!
The chart to the left shows where in the house this
water is used.
Where we use water in
the home
20%
If you are on a Council water supply, your drinking
water comes from streams or underground sources
(aquifers) which we then treat and distribute to your
house through our pipe network (the reticulation). The
more water we all conserve, the less has to be taken
from these sources, reducing our environmental impact.
Conserving water also means we save on treatment and
reticulation costs. So conserving water helps the
environment and saves money at the same time.
There are a number of things we can do to reduce the
amount of water we use in the house.
20%
Garden
Toilet
Bath/Shower
Laundry
Kitchen
25%
25%
In the Bathroom and Toilet
•
Turn the tap off
While you are brushing your teeth. Fill the sink to wash your hands and face. A running tap can waste
up to 10 litres of water a minute.
•
Take short showers instead of baths.
Try using a shower timer
(we have free ones available from the Council – just come into the Administration Building or one of your local LibraryPlus centres).
•
Install a water-efficient shower head
By replacing your old shower head, you can actually get more pressure with less flow!
•
•
Install a dual flush toilet or use a cistern weight
(we have free cistern weights available from the Council – just come into the Administration Building or your local LibraryPlus).
In the Laundry
[brand]
[model]
[rated capacity] place settings
[X]
•
Think about your washing
A bath towel can usually be used more than once
before it needs a wash, and wait til you have a full
load before turning on your washing machine.
•
Choose a water-efficient washing machine
Choose one which is water-efficient as well as
energy-efficient. Consider buying a front loader they use about half the water that top loaders do.
Look for a water efficiency label - the more stars, the better!
•
Turn down the water setting
If you need to do a half load, adjust the water
level accordingly or use economy settings.
•
Repair leaks as soon as you notice them.
A leaking toilet might not be obvious, but it can waste thousands of litres of water. A dripping tap can easily waste 5 litres of water every day.
using [stated wash] programme
Get your free 4-minute shower
timer from Council
In the Kitchen
Think about your washing
Wait until you have a full load before you turn your dishwasher on. Don’t rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher unless absolutely necessary.
•
Put a plug in the sink
When washing vegetables instead of washing them under a running tap.
•
Defrost frozen food
In your fridge (overnight) or your microwave instead of running water over it.
•
Use a compost bin for your vegetable scraps
A compost bin is a great way
Instead of a garbage disposal unit - your garden will to get rid of vege scraps and
care for your garden!
thank you for it!
An example of a water
effiency sticker displayed on
whiteware
In General
Consider installing a
rainwater tank
If you see a water leak, either on the Council network or on private property, please call us on
so that we know about it and can arrange to have it repaired.
•
Consider installing a rainwater tank
Make use of the water which falls on your roof! Small and slim types are available which are
suitable for homes in urban areas. If you are thinking of installing a rainwater tank on your property, Council is happy to advise you about our building consent and planning rules (e.g. how far away from the boundary a rainwater tank needs to be).
0800 H2O FLOW
0800 426 356
Work out your water footprint
If you would like to work out your Water Footprint (an estimate of how much water you use every year), there is a really good calculator at
goblue.zerofootprint.net. While you’re online, check us out at www.southtaranaki.com for more information on water conservation.
If you would like a brochure with more tips on how to conserve water, a free shower timer or a free toilet cistern weight come in and see us.